Radio transmitter antenna reel



Sept. 19; 1939. c MOORE v 2,173,126

RADIO TRANSMITTER ANTENNA REEL Filed May 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v In venior .ZZ Main A tiorneys Sept. 19, 1939. c, MOORE 2,173,126

RADIO TRANSMITTER ANTENNA REEL Filed May 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 and A ttomeys Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE v 2,173,126 v a RADIO TRANSMITTER ANTENNA REEL.

Elmer 0. Moore, Glenview, n1. Application May 20, mssysonai No. 209,106

3 Claims. (01. 242-99j A The present invention relates to a radio transmitter antenna reel designed primarily for use upon aircraft for winding in or letting out the radio antenna, and has for its primary object to provide a reel of this character in which the antenna will be automatically maintained either in a partly or completely wound position on the reel without necessitating any special locking means for securing the reel against movement.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a reel of this character embodying spring means between the reel and hub on which the reel is mounted and providing friction gripping contact therewith to secure the reel in a predetermined position.

Another object is to provide a reel of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the attaching plate showing the hub secured thereon.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the manipulating handle.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view.

Figure 5 is a side elevational View of'the spring.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the anchoring means for one end of the spring, and

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 1- of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the invention comprises an attaching plate 5 to the front surface of which is secured a hub B by screws or the like 1, said hub having a central threaded recess 8 within which the reduced threaded end 9 of a handle attaching pin Ill is threadedly engaged. The handle is indicated at l l and is provided on its inner surface with a hub portion l2 abutting the hub 6 and through which the pin it is freely inserted, the outer end of the handle being provided with a manipulating knob I 3.

The hub 6 also includes an annular skirted portion I l disposed in spaced relation outwardly from the hub portion and upon said skirted portion is positioned a spirally wound spring l5 having fiat convolutions as more clearly shown in Figure 4-of the {drawings} one end of the'spring terminating in a laterally off-set eye It engaged by a pin ll recessed in the inner surface of a reel 18 for anchoring said end of the spring to said reel. The opposite end of this spring is formed with a radial extension l9 adapted to be received in a notch or recess 20 formed in the outer surface of the reel l8 adjacent the inner periphery of the reel. In assembling the spring on the hub and the reel on the spring in the position shown in Figure 4, a groove 2| is formed on the inner periphery of the reel to accommodate the extension 19 of the spring.

The inner face of the handle I I is provided with a lug 22 also adapted to seat in the notch 20, said notch being of sufficient area to permit slight play between the lug 22 and extension l9 during the manipulation of. the handle, as will be apparent from an inspection of Figure '7 of the drawings.

The reel I8 is loosely mounted on the spring l5 and the diameter of the spring I5 is slightly less than the diameter of the skirted portion id of the hub to cause a normally frictional engagement therebetween. Accordingly, by reason of this frictional engagement, the reel l8 will be held against idle rotation on the hub 6, although free to be rotated to wind or unwind an antenna thereon by reason of the engagement of the lug 22 of the handle with the recess or notch 20 of the reel.

Also by reason of the play provided in the notch or recess 20 with the extension H! of the spring, the manipulation of the handle in one direction will serve to expand the spring l5 to decrease its frictional engagement with the hub 6, thus permitting a free and rapid rotation of the reel.

The spring further is mounted in a manner so that the manipulation of the handle and reel in an opposite direction will cause a release in the tension of the spring through the connection of the eye IS with the reel, thus reducing frictional engagement between the spring and hub when the reel is manually operated in either direction, but providing for friction gripping engagement between the spring and hub when the reel is idle.

One portion of the reel is provided with a counter-sunk recess 23 to enable the knotted ends of the wire to be soldered to the reel.

It is believed the details of construction and manner of operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is- 1. A reel of the class described comprising a stationary hub, a spirally wound spring surrounding said hub, a reel freely mounted on said hub outwardly of the spring, means fixedly connecting one end of the spring to said reel, a radial extension on the other end of the spring, a notch in the reel accommodating said extension, a handle rotatably mounted on the hub and a lug on the handle and inserted in said notch for rotating the reel, said lug also being engageable with the extension to expand the spring upon the manipulation of the handle in one direction.

2. A reel of the class described comprising a stationary hub, a spirally wound spring surrounding said hub in normal frictional engagement therewith, a reel freely mounted on said hub outwardly of the spring, means fixedly connecting one end of the spring to said reel and adapted to expand the spring upon rotation of the reel in one direction, a radial extension on the other end of the spring, a notch in the reel accommodating said extension, a handle rotatably mounted on the hub and a lug on the handle and inserted in said notch for rotating the reel, said lug also being engageable with the extension to expand the spring upon rotation of the reel in an opposite direction.

3. A reel of the class described comprising a stationary hub, a spiral spring surrounding said hub in frictional engagement therewith, a reel mounted on the hub outwardly of the spring, means fixedly connecting one end of the spring to the reel, the other end of the spring being loose, a handle rotatably carried on the hub and means carried by the handle and having direct operating engagement with the reel for rotating the same in one direction, the loose end of the spring being interposed between the reel and said operating means in its opposite movement to initially release the spring from the hub and to subsequently contact the reel to rotate the reel in said opposite direction.

ELMER C. MOORE. 

